A recent (Jan. 4) article in the New York Times, Why Everyone Seems to Have Cancer, led me to write this column. The author pointed out that heart disease had a much higher likelihood than cancer in causing death 50 years ago. Now, it seems, cancer has nearly overtaken its rival, heart disease. He admits that cancer researchers have made progress, especially in treating childhood cancers, which we’ll ignore here since children haven’t had the chance to “enjoy” a lifetime of an unhealthy lifestyle.Mr. Johnson remarks that “heart disease and cancer are primarily diseases of aging.” But are they? If a person smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, eats as much saturated fat as he or she can cram into his or her mouth, and sits for five hours a day watching television (the average for Americans), will his or her risk of cancer or heart disease cause a “premature” death? That is, a death before the average age reached by Americans, which is 78. Lifestyle, not aging, is the issue here.And lifestyle is not merely diet and exercise. It encompasses emotional health, financial stability, stress management as well. A fit person (one whose BMI is in the low 20s and whose heart and lung function is exceptional) who suffers with negative emotions (fear, anger, frustration, jealousy, sadness) has lower immune protection against bacterial infections, viral infections, and cancer cells, which most of us have in our tissues, somewhere or other. A study of 3,000 older people demonstrates this concept perfectly. All had been in long-term satisfying marriages and had gone through the death of the spouse. A highly significant number of surviving spouses (mostly in their 70s and 80s) developed cancer within six months of the spouse’s demise.

Researchers have shown that negative emotions will lower the presence of NK cells (natural killer white blood cells) in the blood stream. This fairly recent (20 years) research escapes press coverage, despite its importance. Without adequate protection, supplied by these cells, we become at risk. So it pays to follow the LifeNuts lifestyle and learn to be happy.The other issue that the author dodges is obesity, whose incidence has tripled since the 1950s. Obesity deserves more than one sentence, Mr. Johnson, since it contributes significantly to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Yet, it grows like a snowball rolling downhill each year and with it grows our national debt. If we can reverse obesity, as community-based LifeNuts hopes to do, we can prevent premature deaths due to the diseases caused by obesity.Will a plant-based diet play a major role in preventing obesity? You betcha. In fact, this diet has been proven to override the genes that contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease that Mr. Johnson states is the wild card in this cancer equation. In his book, Power Foods for the Brain, Dr. Neal Barnard explains how a healthy diet, exercise, and mental workouts can prevent this terrible disease.Mr. Johnson wants to uplift the reader with his news that American life expectancy has increased from 1910 when it was in the mid-50s to today when it is 78.3. But he ignores the fact that the baby boomer generation, now beginning to turn 65 and qualify for Medicare, is our fattest generation and getting fatter each year, which, believe it or not, is going to decrease our average lifespan. He fails to draw attention to the life expectancy of the Japanese (nearly 84) and to their essentially plant-based diet and small-portioned meals. Our youngest generations are also obese (and getting fatter) which means that they, too, will have shorter lives and will likely succumb to heart disease, diabetes, and, Mr. Johnson’s nemesis, cancer. And, on another positive note, they’ll be the proud recipients of the massive national debt that we pass on to them.LifeNuts hopes to reverse this trend, city by city, suburb by suburb, but, now after the first year’s effort, its message has fallen on deaf ears. Government mandates are failing and cities aren’t doing so well either, even though they offer many exercise options for residents. Maybe one town, somewhere and somehow, will start the program. We can only hope.

According to statistics from most developed countries, obesity has surpassed smoking as the biggest health care crisis. Obesity and its three main sister diseases, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are increasing annually, adding to our gigantic national budget deficit, which we Boomers pass on, perhaps unknowingly, to our children and our grandchildren.

In a July (2013) blog I reported my fascination with Dr. Neal Barnard’s book, Power Foods for the Brain, and his remarkable research showing that a plant-based diet and intense exercise can reverse the genetic tendency towards dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease that afflict so many.I’d like to mention another book he’s written, which I feel is even more important than Power Foods. Breaking the Food Seduction, published in 2003, explains why Americans are addicted to so many foods that eventually cause weight gain, obesity, and disease. The book opened my eyes. I recommend it as a core foundation to changing to a LifeNuts lifestyle – and enjoying your old age instead of griping and moaning about your pains, pill, and medical problems.I’ll give a few highlights. First, American researchers have found that children (many of whom are overweight these days) have the beginnings of artery blockage before finishing high school. Obese adults in their 20s often have high blood pressure – related to this blockage, which becomes the basis of an early heart attack or stroke.Cheese addiction? Yes, chefs know that Americans love cheese and they put it on all salads (you can request no cheese when you order) and on many dishes. From 1975 to 1999 cheese consumption doubled. Now the average American consumes 33 pounds of it each year. Why, you ask. Opiates. Yes, the same drug found in opium. It’s addicting, right? Yes it is. The milk protein, casein, breaks down when digested into casomorphins, a host of opiates. A cup of cow’s milk contains six grams of casein, skim milk contains more, and cheese is the mother lode of casein. So, it’s not just the taste, texture, or smell of cheese that intoxicates us – it’s the opiate stimulation of dopamine in our brain. That “good mood” feeling, as some food manufacturers and fast food places like to use in their marketing. Yes, cheese lovers are opiate addicts. Sorry to be so blunt, but most are not aware of this. And cheese consumption increases every year.Meat addiction? Many people who lived in the Great Depression could not afford meat; they were stuck with fruits and vegetables. Few were obese in those dark days. And now, cultures that National Geographic has studied over the past 20 years – you know, the ones where lots of people live into their 90s and 100s – have the same diet, perhaps mainly because they, too, could not afford meat in their early years. Of course, they also “moved” much more than our American couch potatoes who watch an average of five hours of television a day.Today, most can afford to consume meat daily, even if it’s a Big Mac or a roast beef sandwich, and Americans have come to view a meal as not complete without a meat serving. Why? Meat causes the release of opiates in your brain, which stimulates a strong release of insulin, which in turn triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, which makes us feel good. Good enough to include meat in every meal. Meat, cheese, and fish all cause this release of insulin. So, once again, Americans unknowingly are addicts. And, as a debt ridden nation, we, our children, and our grandchildren pay the price. Restaurant owners, fast food franchises, and chefs understand that they must satisfy consumers’ cravings and their offerings relate directly to the demand for cheese and meat.Do you think white meat is better than red meat? Think again. Chicken has nearly as much cholesterol and fat as lean beef. Fish? Anywhere from 15 to 30 percent of fish fat is basically artery-clogging saturated fat.So why is the American diet filled with so many unhealthy choices? The meat and dairy industries are strong supporters of the American Dietetic Association and the American Medical Association. Very strong. They also lobby extensively in Washington, especially towards the USDA. Despite this lobbying, the government recently changed the menus in low-income area schools to offer only healthy choices. Guess what? The kids turned up their noses. They didn’t like the taste of fruits, pasta, and veggies. So officials brought back the meat and cheese. Nice try, anyway.That’s why LifeNuts aims to change the culture of a community, be it a town of 500 or 500,000. If a family and, along with it, a community begins to adopt a plant based diet and an intensive exercise programs, the pounds will melt away, health care costs will drop, and people will become more productive since they now have more energy.What can you do? For starters, read Dr. Barnard’s book to understand your addictions. And then change. He claims your taste buds will change in about three weeks and you’ll break your opiate addiction. Well, it may take four to six weeks or maybe a bit longer; so don’t be discouraged. The pounds will be shed and you’ll fit into clothes you wore when you were a teenager. Trust me, I know. I’ve lost 50 pounds since I began this journey several years ago and my waist is the same as when I was 25, which was over 40 years ago. A LifeNuts lifestyle is worth it!

As we begin 2014, I’d like to focus on the financial side of LifeNuts, a part of our lifestyle perhaps not as important as intense exercise, eating habits, and relationships but important nonetheless. Having to work long hours or in two or three jobs often translates into poor eating habits, little exercise, and obesity … and its related diseases.

Last Friday we watched “The Wolf” movie – mostly out of curiosity about the real life character, Jordan Belfort, a person I term “an investment shark.” An article in Barron’s explained that in the 1990s Jordan’s firm, Stratton Oakmont, bilked investors out of $300 million – including a local man, John Kilroy, a Pizza Hut franchisee who lost a lot of his life savings to this man. One of the fascinating aspects of this is that Belfort, after serving about two years in jail for his fraud, has emerged as a motivational speaker (to help you close the deal) and is currently trying to land a reality TV show. Despite selling two memoir books and making close to a million dollars for the movie rights, he still owes ordinary people like Kilroy (Maineville, Ohio) over $100 million and has paid very little. Jordan is the quintessential con man and investment shark and, through the movie, he offers lessons to all of us in our daily financial management. LifeNuts excel in this arena, which gives them time to exercise and do the other important things in life. But most people are not interested in investing or do not have sufficient funds to invest. I hear all kinds of excuses: too time consuming, too difficult to understand, too afraid.

A writer has documented the movie and Belfort’s life, which is worth reading: http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/moviemom/2013/12/the-real-story-jordan-belfort-the-wolf-of-wall-street.html# . Interestingly, Belfort’s website claims that corporations pay 50 grand for his motivational speeches, yet a U.S. attorney listed only $24,000 in that type of income since 2007. Again, he’s an unabashed master promoter and a compulsive liar, always willing to take a sucker’s money. For perhaps a more realistic view, especially about the current condition of the investment sharks, read an essay by the ex-wife of Jordan’s best friend: http://nypost.com/2013/12/09/i-was-the-wife-of-a-wall-street-wolf/ . From this, it’s fairly obvious that these sharks have hidden vast sums of money in off-shore accounts or in Switzerland. But will they get caught? Now, if you decide to watch this movie, be prepared for the worst of Hollywood. The director, per his usual style, made the movie too long and too full of sex, drugs, and violence, which is a shame because it could have been an epic in illustrating the ways that con men operate. Instead, it’s a way for the director and his company to make money, exemplifying the Hollywood modus operandi: inject sex, drugs, and violence and people will watch. But the worst part of this was the film studio paying nearly a million to Belfort for the movie rights. Lesson #1. If an investment deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Bernie Madoff and Allen Sanford attracted high profile clients, ranging from well-known celebrities, sports stars, and business owners, by word-of-mouth. Clients bragged to each other about the annual high returns and so their friends, also wanting to get that 20% annual return, trusted and invested. After all, if their friends were doing OK, it must be safe to get in the water. Henrik Stenson, the high profile golfer, lost nearly all of his retirement to Sanford. Fortunately for Stenson, his huge comeback in 2013 allowed him to amass another fortune. Hopefully he’ll keep a closer eye on it. Lesson #2. Financial sharks like to prey upon young to middle-aged professionals, those who are earning a good income and have money to invest but little time to spend on investing research. I remember the phone calls to my office, which occasionally would reach me, from sharks with New York accents, offering investment vehicles. They often told my receptionist that they were old friends of mine, trying to reconnect. And they tried and tried again. But I never invested with them. I now wonder if some of those calls came from Stratton Oakmont. Lesson #3. Someone you know and trust might lure you into a business proposition. In the movie, Three Days of the Condor, the lead actor, Robert Redford, is cautioned to watch out for an invitation from a passing car, the window rolled down, and a trusted friend inside. He listens to the advice. But some fall prey to those they trust. Many decades ago, I listened to a relative, another young professional, cheerfully bragging that he did not pay any income tax as a result of having myriad tax shelters, which were in vogue in the 1980s. I watched him year after year and finally I dove into the fire and got burned - financially. Yes, I bought tax shelters ... from sharks. Once one of his sharks wanted me to invest in gemstones, something I knew nothing about. He was persuasive and became visibly upset when I declined. I was lucky. My relative was not. He continued in this area of high risk and eventually got into serious trouble. I had to pay back taxes and some penalties. His loss was much higher: divorce, loss of his practice, loss of professional license, and jail time. A patient of mine, many years ago, offered me a chance to become an investor in a nursing home purchase. Guaranteed 20% annual return, he claimed. I said I’d check the figures with my accountant but, despite his excellent sales pitch, I never invested. As the years passed, he’d tell me what a deal I missed with big ROI (return on investment). Eventually he and his wife divorced and he dropped out of sight. A few years later his ex-wife told me that the nursing home investors losteverything. And, being a golfer, I was tempted by a classmate of mine (Yes, someone I knew and trusted) to become a founding investor in a new golf course. Only 50 grand and take it out of your IRA. Well, my friend invested 50K but I again declined, which was a little difficult for two reasons: there’s the friendship and classmate factor and there’s the I’ve-got-as-much-money-as-you-do attitude. But I had enough discipline to decline. The golf course was built and I played on it with my friend. Very nice. But a few years later, the summer drought brought massive watering bills and investors had to chip in more money. Decades later, he admits that investment was an awful mistake. Sometimes you have to say no. Lesson #4. Eventually I figured out that I would learn as much as I could about investing, sort of like the Millionaire Mommy Next Door, whose website I have recommended. And, after having made my share of mistakes, I began to learn and, through vehicles of mutual funds and stocks, I reached my goal of financial independence in my early 50s. When you grow old, working because you love it is much different than working because you have to financially.Lesson #5. Become your own investment manager. Money in itself offers a chance to exchange goods or services but too little of it can cause serious problems. LifeNuts, in the book and website, offers many examples of people who have learned how to invest. And, yes, it takes time to learn. And you’ll make mistakes along the way. If a young female high school graduate, working as a night waitress and living paycheck to paycheck, can learn investing and become a millionaire before reaching 40, then so can you. The Millionaire Mommy proves that the investing business is not as complex as some would have us believe. Lesson #6. I like to think that sharks like Jordan Belfort are the exception to the rule. Most money managers are ethical and competent. But the majority of them don’t beat the average stock market annual return. Sad, but true. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consult or invest with one. Just come to the table with your homework done: know what your goals are, know which companies or mutual funds you like, know what your tolerance for risk is. By all means, read the book, The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham. It’s a classic and is highly recommended by an investor who read it when he was a young man. Warren Buffet has done pretty well by following Graham’s advice. You will, too. Good luck.